The present invention relates to a magnetic-field sensor, and more particularly to a magnetic-field sensor with split-drain metal-oxidesemiconductor field-effect-transistors (MOSFET's), which is suitable for integration on a single chip by CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) processing technology.
A magnetic-field-sensitive split-drain MOSFET (or named as MAGFET) is a known magnetic-field sensor using the Lorentz deflection of the channel current of the MAGFET in a magnetic field. Because of its good magnetic-field-sensitive performance and its compatibility with conventional CMOS technology, it is considered to be a promising integrated magnetic-field-sensitive component. It seems possible to use an integrated magneticfield sensor with a MAGFET as the sensitive unit instead of a traditional Hall device in order to make an integrated magnetic sensor with very small volume and with the display and measurement devices integrated together in a single chip. Such an integrated magnetic sensor can be used for measurements of direct and alternating currents as well as magnetic field strength and distribution. However, the output of prior MAGFET magnetic-field sensors has been non-linear and is difficult to digitize.
For background on MAGFET technology, refer to the following references:
1. Gallagher and W. S. Corak, "Metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) Hall element", Solid-State Electron., 9 (1966), pp. 571-580.
2. D. Misra et al., "A novel high gain MOS magnetic field sensor", Sensors and Actuators, 9 (1986), pp. 213-221.
Numerical simulations for the MAGFET are discussed in the following references:
3. A. Nathan et al., "Two-dimensional numerical modeling of magnetic field sensors in CMOS technology", IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, ED-32 (1985), pp. 1212-1219.
4. H. P. Baltes et al., "Two-dimensional numerical analysis of a silicon magnetic field sensor", IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, ED-31 (1984), pp. 996-999.
5. W. Tongli and H. Yie, "Computer analysis and design optimization lo of magnetic field sensitive MOS device", Solid-State Electron., 31 (1988), pp. 237-240.